I’m glad everyone enjoyed the interview I did with Andrew Vogel, an actor on Under the Dome on CBS. I really enjoyed his take on creativity and living your passion to follow your dreams. But, today, I am talking about something seasonal. Since the holidays are near, I thought it’d be fun to share gift ideas for writers and readers for everyone who has one (or multiple of them) in their life. We all know about the common e-reader, but I thought I’d add a few more:

Anything to do with the office will probably be appreciated. Only be weary of that some writers are very specific on what they use. For instance, I only use G2 pens. So if you’re weary about office supplies, you can consider library fun for the office: bookshelves, bookends, desk lamps, etc. I promise you, libraries are getting really creative today. Just check out all the kinds of bookends and articles like 10 Crazy Cool Bookshelves. If you’re good with tools, a lot of these ideas can be built by yourself.

2. Editing software: Editors are expensive every time you use one. If you have software, you only pay once. (This doesn’t mean I am advising people not to use editors. In fact, I think everyone should. But having additional software before you send it off to the editor is great!) Software is also something I’ve also enjoyed using and testing out for companies. I’ve actually done a review of both Dragon Dictate and Grammarly on this website. And, yes, I own both now, and I use them on a regular basis.

3. It doesn’t have to always be for writing: thanks to those personalized gifts websites, anyone can write anything on mugs, calendars, t-shirts, pens, coffee mugs (yum!) and more. How great would it be to get one of your favorite quotes or books (or even your own novel) on a coffee mug? That’d be an encouraging way to start off the morning.

When “November Snow” was published, my father surprised me with this gift: the printed cover inside a silver frame.

5. Gifts don’t always have to cost money. If you have a writer in the family, read their latest work. In a card, tell them you read it and what you thought about it. This will be greatly appreciated from many writers, especially if you haven’t been able to read anything of theirs before. If you have a reader in the family, this concept works again. Read their favorite book or promise to read so many novels a year with them. Look at it as a book club. It’ll help connect you and who knows? Maybe you’ll discover more things about writing and reading than you thought.

Watch my video to begin this post via this link: Dragon Dictate for Mac. If the link doesn’t work, or you don’t want to watch the video, what I said is typed below, so enjoy my review of Dragon Speak! (And work with me, because I’m technologically challenged, and I had to get Dragon Speak, Photo Booth, and Microsoft synced.)

Using Dragon Dictate.

“Hey, everyone! It’s Shannon.

I was just making this video (for the first time, so you get to hear my voice) to review Dragon Dictate for Mac, which is a voice recognition software, in which it turns your voice and what you have to say into text for you.

So far, although the download took me a long time, I’ve really enjoyed the product. I found it very effective, and it works with most accents. My dad also used it, and it works really well. I haven’t, however, used the punctuation aspect, so I will be editing the text (which is below) I’ve added so you can read along and see how it does, and I will review once I get used to the punctuation aspect of this product.

So far, I think it’s great. I think it’s very effective. I’m really glad I got this product, and I’m hoping to show it to my friends, so they can also use it for essays in school or personal writing like I’m going to use it for.

I also wanted to thank you all so much for following me on Twitter, my blog, sending me emails, and supporting my dream as much as I’m trying to support everybody else’s.

I think passion is very important. It is wonderful to share an English-based passion or reading-based passion—writing, art, anything—with anyone in this world, because I think the point of living is passion and celebrating your passion but also supporting other people’s passions, so thank you very much, sincerely, that you’ve helped me with mine, because you guys keep me going every day, and I love sharing these things with you.

I will be sharing more of Dragon Dictate and other products as I come across them, and I hope you guys are having a great holiday. I hope whatever you celebrate—Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza—that it’s going great, that your family is healthy and well, that your pets are happy and spoiled, and your kids are just the same, and, you know, maybe you also got Dragon Dictate.

Let me know how you’re using it. If there’s any shortcuts that don’t know about, I’d really appreciate it—so happy holidays, happy new year, and I’ll be sure to make a new video in the future, so—

My older brother, Greg, proposed to his girlfriend, and now I have a future sister-in-law to welcome.

My older brother, Greg, is dressed like Santa, and, his fiance, Chelsey, sits on his lap.Welcome to the family

I’m very happy, and I hope that everyone’s holiday has gone as wonderfully as it can.

Also, my father bought DragonSpeak for me. It’s a voice recognition software that types as I talk (since I do both WAY too much.) I’m looking forward to using it, both as a student and an author, so I’ll let you all know how I like it once I get a chance to get used to it.

Have any of you used it before?

I’m starting my Christmas off with waffles and mimosas with the family, ending it with more food, drinks, and lots of love.